


National Nail Polish Day

by Skeeter_110



Series: Another June Day [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Soft Peter Parker, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark is a Good Dad, Tony Stark is a Supportive Dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24491350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skeeter_110/pseuds/Skeeter_110
Summary: Tony Stark and Steve Rogers have been dating for a while now when Tony thinks it's time for Steve to meet his son, Peter. Steve wasn't quite prepared for the whirlwind that is Peter Stark
Relationships: Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Another June Day [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769251
Comments: 19
Kudos: 496





	National Nail Polish Day

**Author's Note:**

> On June 1st, National Nail Polish Day provides us with every shade under the sun to get us primed for summer! Celebrate by getting a manicure in your favorite color

Tony Stark knew his son was a little different. when most parents say that they'll love their kid no matter what they are or what they want to do, they don't mean it; but tony Stark does. He's always been supportive of Peter no matter what. 

The first time that something happened that made him realize that his son might be a little different was when Peter was four and it was extremely subtle. 

They had just finished at the doctor's office for Peter's typical check-up. Peter, of course, had to get his tetanus shot, which was agonizing for the both of them.

In order to get through it all, Tony promised that if Peter was good and allowed the doctor to give him the shot, he would take him to the store and buy him one toy of his choosing. Tony would usually avoid using toys as a way to get Peter to do something, but he felt this would warrant a change in that rule.

That's how Tony found himself currently walking through the toy section in the store, holding a sniffling toddler. 

"You can pick anything you want, Petey. Just for being a big boy today." Tony says, not noticing how his son's eyes lit when they passed the Barbie isle, and how his face fell when they passed it.

Tony made his way into an isle filled with different types of cars and blaster toys. 

"Do you see anything you like down here, Buddy?" Tony asks, jostling Peter slightly in attempt to get the toddler to untuck his face from where it was hiding in Tony's neck.

Peter just peered out, glancing at everything in the isle, only to shake his head and cling onto Tony tighter. Tony just sighed and rubbed the small boy's back, slowly rocking him and wishing there was _something_ that could make his boy feel better. 

"Daddy?" Peter finally speaks up, Tony having ot strain his ears just to hear his name being called.

"Yeah, Baby?" Tony responds, not letting up on gently rubbing his back in hopes that it'll make Peter ease into talking more. He hated when his son got so upset that his usual chatty demeanor was just completely shut down; which was rare, but hurt, nonetheless. 

"Can I really get anything?" Peter quietly asks, still sounding hesitant. 

"Of course, Buddy. You were such a strong, brave boy today and I believe that deserves a special treat." Tony encourages, giving a reassuring smile when Peter shyly nodded in understanding. 

"Can we go down there?" Peter asks, pointing towards the hot oink isle. Tony just shrugged, not really thinking much of it. There was probably a stuffed animal down there that Peter saw he wanted. Peter is in love with anything soft so it wouldn't really surprise Tony much.

"What is it that's caught your eyes down here, Petey?" Tony questions, not being prepared for when Peter pointed at an actual Barbie. It's not that it was a problem, Tony wasn't one to push gender conformity, he just wasn't prepared for it.

"Are you sure this is what you actually want, Bambino?" Tony asks, pulling the Barbie off of the shelf and holding it in front of PEter.

"Pretty please?" Peter confirms, nodding his head and how was Tony supposed to deny this from him when his face once again lit up and he used better manners than some of the business workers Tony works with. 

"Alright, but if this is what you want you have to hold onto it, okay?" Tony says, Peter eagerly taking it and hugging it to his chest. 

"I'm going to braid it's hair like Aunt Pep showed me." Peter tells Tony and - _oh_ \- that makes sense. 

Peter has always loved to play with hair. Even when he was a baby, Pepper had to tie her hair up because more often than not it would end up tangled In chubby, little baby fingers. 

Tony can honestly say he's never seen Peter happier than the day, a couple months ago, Tony handed him a bottle of his gel and allowed Peter to do whatever he wanted to his hair. Sure, he looked like a porcupine, and yeah, maybe he had a meeting right after and didn't have time to wash it out, but his son was incredibly happy, so he didn't care. 

"Now, though, that Peter was starting to get older - and still loves playing with hair - Pepper has been teaching his how to braid. Which explains why he would want the Barbie with extremely long hair. 

"I think that sounds like a great idea, Petey." 

The next time Tony noticed that Peter was a bit different was when he was twelve, and this time was a lot more obvious. 

Tony had just gotten done with a day filled with nothing but meetings, and wanted nothing more than to curl up on the couch with his son, eat a bunch of artery-clogging food, and watch mind numbing television programs until they fall asleep. 

He was only slightly - read extremely - disappointed when he saw that Peter wasn't waiting for him in the living room like usual. 

Tony figured maybe Peter was doing homework in his room and lost track of time. Happy texted him letting him know that he picked Peter up and dropped him off, so Tony tried not to be too worried about something being wrong as he made his way up the stairs.

Sure enough, once he got to Peter's door, he could hear shuffling; a smile subconsciously making it's way onto Tony's face. 

"Oh, Petey." Tony singsongs, knocking lightly on his son's door to let him know that he was home. Slowly, but surely, Tony was working on giving the boy more privacy, and he figured knocking before going into his room would be one of the adjustments. 

Tony could hear more shuffling, but the door remained closed. Trying to ebb the worry he felt away, Tony took a deep breath and knocked again. 

"Hey, Pete, I'm coming in, okay?" Tony calls out, slowly opening the door. So, the privacy thing was still a work in progress, but, hey, the kid was only twelve, Tony still had another year to work on it before Peter was officially in the teenage years. 

One Tony made his way into Peter's room, a small "eep" could be heard at the same time a lump shifted under the covers on the bed.

Tony chuckled a bit, plopping down on the bed hard enough to jostle Peter. 

"Well, hello, strange lump. I'm looking for my son, Peter, have you seen him? He's late to snuggle time on the couch." Tony teases, poking Peter through the blankets and chuckling to himself when he successfully got the boy to squirm.

"Dad." Peter whines, drawing out the vowel more than needed. Tony figured getting Peter to talk was already a win since he was clearly upset, and hopefully he would be able to get out of son what it was that was bothering him.

"Why, strange lump, you sound exactly like my son." Tony says, letting out a dramatic gasp afterwards. "Wait a minute. You didn't eat my son, did you? Peter? Peter, if you can hear me in there, this is your Father! I love you and I'll get you out!" Tony shout reveling in the little giggle he got in return.

"I know what to do. I can tickle the lump until it spits you out!" Tony states, going and poking Peter through the blankets over and over again, continuing when Peter would let out little squeals of laughter.

"Dad! Dad, stop it!" Peter giggles out, Tony giggling himself before stopping to allow Peter to breathe; especially because he was under a stuffy blanket and he didn't need to be suffocated anytime soon. 

"Okay, okay, now that I know the strange lump is in fact my son, do you wanna tell me what's got you hiding in the first place, Bud?" tony asks, watching as Peter instantly stilled under the blanket. 

"You're going to be mad." Peter murmurs, it almost being indistinguishable under all the covers. 

"Well, that depends on what it is, Bambino. Yeah, if you did something like... rob a bank, or create identity theft, I would be mad, but even then, I would love you always. So, I promise, whatever it is you did, I still love you and we can figure this out together." Tony reassures, wishing Peter would come out from under the blankets so he could wrap him up in his arms and shield him from whatever was hurting him. 

"Please, don't get mad." Peter whispers, shifting under the blanket more.

"I won't yell. I promise." Tony assures, knowing that he couldn't promise he wouldn't get mad not knowing what exactly Peter did. Although, he knew that Peter couldn't actually do anything so terrible that he would get mad. 

Peter let out a sigh before reluctantly pulling the blanket off his face. 

The first thing Tony noticed was the tears in Peter's eyes. The second thing Tony noticed was the nail polish on Peter's nails and the make-up all over his face. 

"You're mad." Peter cries, the tears spilling over and down his cheek, effectively snapping Tony out of his thoughts.

"No, Tesoro, _no_ , I'm not mad." Tony tells him, instantly pulling the pre-teen into his arms and rocking them back and forth. 

"M.J had her new make-up kit and nail polish with her when we were hanging out after school and she wanted to see what I looked like with it on. But-But, now, I can't get it off. I've tried everything, but I don't know what to get it off." Peter explains through his tears, making the make-up he was wearing around his eyes run down his cheeks along with the tears.

"Hey, breathe, Buddy, breathe. It's okay, I'm not mad, I promise. Do you want to take it off? We can go buy some stuff that'll help take it off." Tony says, hoping that his words would calm Peter down. He only slightly panicked when it seemed to do the opposite. "What? What's wrong, Baby? You need to tell me what the problem is so I can help fix it."

"Daddy, that is the problem. I don't want to take it off! I like it, but it's wrong!" Peter tells him, crying eve harder into his Father's chest.

All Tony could do was gold Peter tighter against him as he processed this information. He was okay with the fact that Peter seems to enjoy make-up, but he needed to figure out how to express that without making it seem otherwise and ultimately messing his kid up permanently.

Unfortunately, all Tony could think of was: "Don't be like Howard, don't be like Howard, don't be like Howard." 

"Pete, look at me, Buddy." Tony gently says, hooking his fingers under the boy's chin to get him to look up. "This is okay. This is not wrong." Tony tells him, his heart breaking at the emotional pain that was present on the pre-teen's face. 

"But boys aren't supposed to like girly things, Dad." Peter whimpers, allowing more tears to fall down his face.

"Who says?" Tony asks, clearly confusing his son with that response. 

"Huh?"

"Well, who says that boys can't wear that kind of stuff?" Tony asks once again, Peter just shrugging in return.

"Okay, well, think about it like this: Aunt Pepper is my CEO, right? Not a lot of Women are CEO's of multi-million-dollar companies, let alone a multi- _billion_ -dollar company. It's not common, but it can happen. If a Woman can do what a Man does, then a Man can do what a Woman does; which means that it' not wrong for boys to wear make-up or nail polish." Tony explains, not even sure if his little rant made any sense, or even had an impact for that matter. 

"So, you're really not mad?" Peter asks, looking up at his Dad through his eyelashes; and how could Tony ever be mad at a face like that?

"Baby, I could never be mad at you for something like this. If you're not hurting anyone and it makes your happy, then I'm happy. That's all I want for you, Mimmo, is for you to be happy." Tony says, making Peter tuck his head under Tony's chin and squeeze tighter. 

"But," Tony interrupts, not liking how Peter instantly tenses up. Almost like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I think you need to get some make-up tips from Aunt Pepper, because no offense, but M.J's skin is darker than yours, so you need to wear something lighter." tony says, Peter relaxing once again against him. 

"I love you, Dad." Peter whispers, a warmth flowing through Tony's chest like it does every time Peter says those three words. 

"I love you too, Petey."

After that, they slowly began to figure things out.

Pepper helped a bunch - bless that woman - teaching Peter the do's and don'ts when it came to make-up, and eventually, Peter indulging into his more feminine side became an everyday thing.

Over the next few years, Peter's clothes were swapped for more soft, light colors sweaters. He constantly had a flower on him -whether it was in a flower crown, peeking out of the front of his pants pockets, or even just a simple one behind his ear - and his make-up and nail skills were far beyond what Tony could ever imagine. 

It hasn't been easy, though. Just because Tony accepts the fact that this was who his son was, doesn't mean the rest of the world does. 

The past couple of years have also been filled with plenty of tears.

Tears due to the press not understanding how Tony could allow his son to do this and saying that he wasn't fit to carry on the stark legacy when he turns eighteen. 

Tears due to kids being their typical selves and tormenting him because he was different than the rest. 

And - worst of all - tears because Tony was stupid enough to let a man in his life who wanted to change Peter. Who was so selfish and ignorant that he made Peter feel less just because he enjoyed the more delicate things in life.

That was Tony's biggest regret in his life; letting Tiberius Stone into their lives. He'll never forgive himself for any of it. Seeing Peter stop doing make-up completely for a week was just the push he needed to break up with Tiberius. Tony still hasn't been able to forgive himself for it. 

Which all led to now.

Tony was currently sitting in a booth at a ran down diner, anxiously bouncing his foot up and down. 

He's recently decided he was going to take another crack at dating after the whole "Tiberius situation" and after a couple of blissful months, Tony's determined that clashing his two worlds and having his son and his boyfriend meet needed to happen. 

'Okay, you being this nervous is beginning to make me nervous." Steve comments, snapping Tony right out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry." Tony sighs, taking a drink of his water to try and relax himself. "I just really want you two to get along, The last guys I dated didn't get along with Pete; he just didn't understand him. I don't want that to happen this time, I want you two to like each other." Tony rambles, Steve chuckling a bit and reaching over the table to take Tony's hand. 

"I'm sure it'll be fine. The way you described him, he sounds like an embodiment of you, so I think we'll get along just nicely." Steve reassures, soothingly rubbing his thumb over Tony's knuckles. 

"He's just... exuberant and the guy I dated last didn't like that and tried to change Peter and made him feel bad for being who he was and-" Tony nervously rambles, Steve leaning over the table and planting a kiss on Tony's lips in attempt to quiet him and his racing thoughts. 

"Honestly, I wouldn't expect anything different from your son. You yourself are extravagant." Steve teases, relishing in the small laugh Tony let out. 

Their small moment was quickly broken by a frantic voice.

"Hey, Dad. I'm sorry I'm late. M.J had decathlon go on for way longer than necessary and then the subway was late and- yeah it was a disaster." The teen that interrupted rambled, tossing his bag down by Tony before plopping down into the seat and... _oh._

Steve now knew why Tony was so worried. 

When Tony said that his son was exuberant, this was not what Steve was expecting.

The boy had flowers all tangled in his wild curls, make-up that looked like it took hours to do covered his face, and his nails looked long and delicate and were painted a light pink. 

it's not that Steve was against any of this - he understood things were different and that this was the twenty-first century, hell, he was literally dating another man - he just wasn't prepared at all. 

"It's okay, Pete. I ordered you your usual burger." tony says, snapping Steve out of his thought in time to see Peter extend his hand out to him.

"hi, I'm Peter. You must be Steve." The teen greets.

"I am. It's very nice to meet you, your Dad's talked so much about you." Steve replies, shaking the young teen's hand.

"Oh gosh, hopefully not too much. He tends to go a little overboard." Peter stage-whispers, laughing when Tony let out a squawk and placed his hand over his hear in fake hurt. 

"Don't worry, Kid, I haven't gotten to the embarrassing baby stories yet. Like the time, when you were taking a bath, and started crying because you poo-" Tony began to tell, Peter quickly standing up and cutting him off.

"Oh, wow, look, is that our food? I'm going to go wash my hands before I eat." Peter excuses himself, quickly running off to the bathrooms. Both men chuckled as the waitress sets down their food in front of them. 

"Hey, thank you for being cool around Peter and not freaking out. He gets insecure and nervous around new people and I know it means a lot to him that you didn't run away the second you saw him." Tony says once they both got settled with their food.

"Of course. I couldn't imagine running away just because of how he chooses to express himself." Steve says, wondering if that's what happened in Tony's last relationship and could be the reason he was so hesitant on dating in the first place. 

In lieu of saying anything, Tony just leaned over the table and kissed Steve, trying to pour how much this all meant to him in the kiss.

"Aww, man, you're traumatizing my burger, guys!" A certain teenager's voice pipes in, effectively breaking up the moment. 

"Sorry, Pete." Tony chuckles, fixing the flower crown on the teen's head as he sat down. 

the rest of the night went without a hitch; Steve and Peter got along like a house on fire and several plans for the three of them to hang out were made over the next month.

And, while Steve enjoyed the time he was able to spend with Tony's son, he still felt like they hadn't really connected yet. Steve still felt like Peter was being closed-off and that he hasn't been able to break through with him yet.

Which, considering what Tony has told him about Tiberius, Steve could understand. He just wished that there could be this moment where it sinks in that Steve cares about Peter too and he isn't just some random guy that is dating the boy's Father. 

Thankfully, that moment came almost two months after the two of them met.

Steve was heading to the Stark's penthouse, fully prepared to go on a date with Tony. It was finally his turn to spoil the scientist and to pay for everything tonight, which was a rare opportunity, so he was more than excited. Plus he had a few tricks up his sleeve. 

He slowly made his way into the penthouse once the elevators opened, not too worried since he had gotten permission a bit ago to come and go as he pleased. As he walked into the living room, all he saw was Peter sitting by the coffee table doing his nails.

"Hey, Pete." Steve greets, the teen looking up at the sound of his voice and giving him a smile. 

"Hey, Steve. Sorry, my Dad will be here in about thirty minutes. He had to run back to SI for a second to pick up some contracts he forgot. Aunt Pepper threatened to maim him if he didn't have these ones signed by Monday." Peter explains, Steve chuckling as he walked further into the room. 

"That's fine, our reservation isn't until eight anyway." Steve says, Peter nodding and going back to his nails. the silence that fell upon them quickly made Steve shift awkwardly, unsure of where to really proceed now. "Wha-What are you doing there?" Steve awkwardly asks, sitting down on the floor next to Peter.

"Oh, umm, I'm just filling my nails back in." Peter says, Steve nodding like he understood what that was as a silence fell upon them again.

"Uhh… I-If you want, I-I could do your nails." Peter hesitantly offers.

"Oh, umm, I mean, I'm not really into flashy colors but..." Steve begins, wanting to accept just in case this was the push the two of them needed to connect, but also not actually wanting his nails t be as crazy as Peter's. The teen's nails were so long Steve was still baffled that he was able to do everyday things, let alone build things in the lab with Tony.

"Oh, don't worry, I figured you wouldn't want acrylic nails." Peter reassures, letting out a little laugh as if he were telling a joke that Steve would understand.

"Well, I don't exactly know what acrylics are, so." Steve admits. 

"Acrylics are the types of nails I wear; they're fake nails. I can just do basic nail care for you, which the only color needed for that is clear, so you don't have to worry about it being too flashy." Peter explains, Steve feeling a bit more relaxed letting Peter do this.

"Okay, good, I like the sound of that.' Steve says, watching as Peter pulls out a bag filled with nail stuff.

"There's nothing to worry about. It's actually good for you to do this with your nails once a week, and a lot of men actually do. My Dad even lets me do his nails like this." Peter says as he begins trimming and filling Steve's nails.

"I guess I've never thought about something as simple as taking care of my nails before." Steve says, shrugging as Peter pulls out a cuticle pusher.

"I like doing nails. it's relaxing." Peter tells him, earning a small smile in return. 

"Then - if you don't mind - you'll have to do mine more often. I honestly have no idea how to take care of them and I trust your judgment on the do's and don'ts." Steve says, reveling in the clear excitement in Peter's eyes.

"I honestly would love that because these are a disaster." Peter says, making both of them laugh.

"Uh oh, what are you two conspiring over there?" tony asks as he walks into the penthouse, tossing his briefcase down on the couch along with his coat. 

"Wouldn't you like to know." Steve cheekily says, looking over his shoulder to give his boyfriend a lop-sided grin. Tony just sighed and shook his head fondly, leaning down and planting a kiss on Steve's lips.

"Dad, stop, you're shaking Steve, and I don't think he would appreciate getting base coat all over his hand." Peter says, completely over how sappy the two men were together. 

"I'm going to get ready for our date while you let that dry." Tony says before kissing Steve one last time and giving Peter a kiss on his forehead as he walked off. 

Steve couldn't help but smile, the warmth in his chest spreading to indescribable lengths. He was so lucky to have a small part in this wonderful family and, hopefully after tonight, he'll soon be a part of it. 


End file.
